Lone Bone Tree
by Colour of Dust
Summary: [They only made his fate worse. (He no longer cared.) A collection of Root A drabbles.] He preferred to call himself...meticulous. Vigilant. (4. Perception - Noro)
1. Deft

Summary: They only made his fate worse. (He no longer cared.) Drabbles based on root A.

A/N: Life in Aogiri tree for Kaneki, imagined and hopefully close enough to reality. I can't really put my finger to Noro's enigmatic attitude though, and Tatara is too passive for me to truly tell. An apology in advance if I got the characterisation wrong. Please enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: Don't own Tokyo Ghoul and its affiliates.

* * *

1\. Deft (Kaneki/Ayato)

As the blade of liquid muscle decapitated countless souls in one swipe, Kaneki watched his mission partner from the corner of his eyes. Ayato was faring more than well, shooting a volley of Rc cell bullets from dual wings, a deadly dance on the fallen bodies of foe and allies alike. Under the force of their combined onslaught, the rogue team of ghouls were ravaged thoroughly, screams punctuating the cracking of walls around them. They didn't last long enough.

The dust settled.

In the ebbing of the heat of battle, Kaneki retracted his kagune slowly, letting the tension flow out of his body. He took deep breathes, the retch of ghoul blood permeated his lungs. It set his spirit ablaze, itching to crush every single enemy in front of him (to bits and pieces _till they were reduced to ashes_), but he quelled his desire quickly. They had little time to waste - the CCG was closing in already. Kaneki rolled his shoulders and turned to leave.

"Gantai, wait." Ayato's voice floated over, cutting through the silence.

Kaneki paused.

"Are you hungry?"

The click of boots, ominous and chipped, resounded in the empty room. Kaneki brought a bloodstained hand to his lone kakugan, his guts twisting in a way that made him queasy. Despite his acceptance of his ghoul side, he never lost his personality to this instinct-driven beast. Well yes, he _did _consume human and cannibalise whenever possible, but he never ate in front of someone.

For all that metamorphosis, there was still things that sent his brain throbbing between instincts and complete surrender to the ghoul within. Emotions, raw and sharp, still hit him hard. He was a ghoul, but he _was_ human. This dilemma dragged him into deeper, darker parts of his mind, and in wake of his recent defection to Aogiri he had yet to come to terms with it.

"Let's go." He neatly sidestepped the question, briskly walking towards the exit.

(Ayato "tched", but followed him. Their conversation lapsed into silence.)

* * *

It was sometime after they returned back when the hunger really hit him. Growling slightly, Kaneki paced in his tiny room, occasionally wondering if he should venture out to hunt. Doing so, however, will risk discovery of their base by the CCG. He dimly wondered if Tatara will chew him out if he came back with doves on their trail. Reaching for his coffee machine. Kaneki hastily brewed a cup and drowned it down.

That didn't help much. Kaneki mentally berated himself for his lack of foresight. Restless, fingers twitching to wrap themselves around a neck and dig in, letting crimson liquid spill onto his hand. A cruel parody to his starvation after he had been discharged from hospital, fresh from Kanou's hand that mended his fate. He brought trembling hands to his unmasked face, feeling the pulse of his frantic heartbeat.

Sanity was the price of power he paid, dutifully.

A harsh knock on the door sent his body jerking in shock. He already had an inkling who was standing at his door, but he was not in the mood to entertain said person.

"Oi, _gantai_, you still alive? Open the damned door or I'll bash it in."

Ayato picked the worst moment to come, Kaneki noted, struggling to reign in his kakugan. Being a half-ghoul had its benefits, but poor control of one's ghoul abilities was a result of this hybridisation. Not that he was a lunatic. The shuffling of feet ceased, and Kaneki could almost smell Ayato and…

The scent of fresh meat. Kaneki's body lurched up and forward towards the door, but he forced himself to stop right in front of it. One of his hands reached for the worn-out medical eyepatch and slipped on, before the other pulled the door open.

Ayato, in all his leather glory, leaning against the door frame and holding a bag of bloody flesh.

Please don't tell him this was some sick commercial for human meat.

"Yes, Ayato-kun?" Kaneki mildly said, eyes sliding to the bag. Ayato sighed heavily and shoved the bag right to his face. He was hard-pressed not to bite his hand off.

"Eat it." said Ayato. Kaneki stared dumbly at him.

"You brought something for me?"

"...Tch, of course bastard!" Ayato impatiently tossed the bag to him. Kaneki caught it, still caught in a daze. For Ayato to bring him food in the middle of the night, without him even asking, was an abnormality by itself. Unless..

"You poisoned it?"

"No!" Ayato snarled, "Just fucking eat it already!" Their second conversation came to an end with the slamming of the door. Kaneki blinked, registering the heavy footsteps of Ayato growing fainter and fainter. He was gone.

Without another word, Kaneki opened the bag and shoved Ayato's gift into his mouth, kakugan flashing the same colour as the blood dripping down his throat.

* * *

"Ayato-kun, thanks for yesterday."

"...No problem..."

"Sorry, did you say anything?"

"...No. Let's go, _gantai._"

"Mm-hmm."

* * *

*Note: _Gantai _(眼帯) refers to "Eyepatch", Kaneki's nickname. In all Root A episodes, Ayato never called Kaneki's name before.

Thanks for reading.


	2. Lukewarm

A/N: Tatara-san, the ghoul with the unflappable composure. Enough said. XD

Disclaimer: Don't own Tokyo Ghoul and its affiliates

2\. Lukewarm (Kaneki/Tatara)

* * *

He was the King's right-hand man, his direct subordinate, and a ghoul shrouded in mystery. Amongst the executives of Aogiri, Tatara stood out simply because he did nothing but stand in the shadows and observe battles far below. Kaneki did not know what to make of him.

The stoic white-haired man was passive and seemingly unintimidating. Obviously, he was not. Tatara's prowess was undefined, but as a commander of Aogiri's massive forces, he should possess considerable strength. While Ayato resorted to violence with ease and Noro retained his eccentricity, Tatara appeared to be an aloof, calculating predator, full of pride on his own abilities.

With that kind of personality, Kaneki decided that he would maintain a certain distance from Tatara, lest he become a pawn in his masterplans. He would like his life to be less complicated, he reasoned. However, Kaneki simply forgot that Tatara _had_ plans for him. Since the moment he ordered Yamori, Nico and Ayato to drag him to Aogiri, the silent ghoul had seen a certain value in the one-eyed. Nevermind his eye was "bad", Aogiri Tree needed members that could spread its roots far and wide. Kaneki was one of his investments.

It took said investment, however, a long time before he realised his mistake.

* * *

Despite his strength, Kaneki was never exactly formally inducted as an executive. Or rather, it was that there was no need for an induction. Most of Aogiri members had seen a black-haired, trembling Kaneki pierced through the abdomen, declared "bad" and ushered into Yamori's playroom. Hair as white as sclera and completely transformed, Kaneki Version 2.0 was barely recognisable, yet about everyone sensed that his power had increased by at least tenfold.

Still, for him to be instantly granted a high-ranking position was a burn to some of Aogiri's oldest members. Many wondered the same thing. Why was this strange ghoul, once an enemy to their organisation, welcomed in with no hesitation? Envy stirred unrest amongst members, and they sought to seek revenge but never did.

Kaneki was never bothered by them. After they had announced their dislike for him, said members mysteriously disappeared without a trace, erased by an unknown force of sorts.

It was much later when Kaneki realised one thing. Someone was shielding him, quietly stomping on those weeds. He was curious (and grateful). He never voiced that out, but kept a lookout for said beneficiary.

It was much, much later, when he glimpsed upon Tatara quietly mocking one member for not recognising true strength, that Kaneki finally understood what was happening all along.

* * *

Kaneki stood at the doorway of the executive's meeting room, and tried his best to squash down a rising tide of anxiety.

It was normal for Tatara to summon him and Ayato to this room to discuss their latest missions. More often than not, Tatara proved to be a highly-skilled tactician, ensuring that there were no flaws in their plans and keeping backup ideas up and running. However, Tatara never invited Kaneki, alone, to meet him privately.

He was unnerved, though Kaneki hid his feelings well.

"Come in."

Kaneki straightened his back and pushed the door open carefully. Reclining on a faded leather chair, the crimson iron-cast mask covered Tatara's expression well. A table was placed between him and another seat, presumedly for him. Swallowing, he nodded in greeting. Tatara assessed him coolly, before gesturing at a seat, and Kaneki followed suit.

They settled down quickly. Rolling his shoulders, Kaneki slowly eased the tension off his frame. Tatara had turned around to reach into a drawer, and without the weight of Tatara's glare on him, he could breathe easier. In the seat, he fidgeted and wondered why Tatara had called him.

"Are you adapting well?"

Tatara's voice made him sit a little straight. Kaneki did not know what response was expected of him.

"Yes..."

Tatara took a rectangle package out of the drawer, closed it and turned back to face Kaneki in one swift movement. "You don't seem that certain."

Kaneki blinked at Tatara's perceptiveness. In light of so many tremendous changes, Kaneki's values and views had been shaken to the core. He was physically stronger, yes, but some days he had lingering doubts about his choices, and on darker ones he border-lined insanity. But how could he tell Tatara, a ghoul he knew not very well, his deepest, darkest secrets?

He kept quiet.

The older ghoul leaned back, observing him for a while longer. Kaneki's fingers twitched under this scrutiny, and he had this tiny desire to squirm.

"Are you afraid of me?" Tatara said. Kaneki immediately shook his head, an action which sent Tatara sighing. An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment or two, before Tatara finally spoke as though reluctant.

"I have heard some _rumors_ that you have been feeling restless recently, and I cannot have one of our most valuable _assets_ distracted during missions."

Kaneki looked up. Tatara placed said package (He realised that it was a stack of books through the thin wrapping paper.) on the table and slide it towards him. The author, "Sen Takatsuki", could been discerned on the top books. He stared at Tatara's unchanging face, before he pulled the package towards him.

"Eto prepared some...books for you. She believes that you will enjoy them." Tatara supplied. A befuddled Kaneki shifted the package to the side, running his fingers along the spine of individual books. The selection of these titles, surprisingly, was to his tastes. Puzzled over Eto's knowledge of his favourite genres of book (Or is pure guesswork? He could not tell), Kaneki moved his left hand to his chin. It was unexpected for Tatara to express concern over his subordinate, even if it was in the form of delivering a gift from Eto. So-

"There's a meeting at 4pm in the afternoon. Do not be late." The voice whispered at the doorway. Kaneki whipped his head around. Tatara had already left the room, leaving him with his pile of books and a word on his tongue.

It was left unsaid.

* * *

"Eh...Eto-san?" Kaneki called, glancing at a rusted grandfather clock in one of the stores. It was functioning, its hands clicking in clockwork precision. It was almost time.

"Ah…" Concealed behind bandages, her face revealed no emotion. The cloaked ghoul leapt down and landed nimbly next to him. Manically she giggled, twirling around in a move akin to ballet.

"Yes?" The warbled voice had a queer inflection to it, as if she was between the edge of a breakdown and a fit of elation.

"Did you ask Tatara-san to deliver a package of books?" Kaneki queried. Eto gave a short bark of laughter.

"Yep! But that's your main question, isn't it..?"

Kaneki froze.

"Now, now, _Kaneki-kun_. Tatara-san was the one who suggested this move. Surely you know what that means, right?" Her lips curling upwards, Eto paused in her spinning, before shaking her head. "Why! You are denser than I thought! Don't disappoint Tatara-san, okay?"

Throwing that sentence to him, Eto skipped off, tittering in that odd manner of hers as she went on her way.

* * *

It was finally over, this mission of theirs. Kaneki had followed Tatara and Noro in their raid of a dove hotspot in the 21st ward. They were met with considerable resistance: Six investigators ranging from Rank 2 to First Class. The trio were engaged in a long, drawn-out battle, but it was clear that the combined strength of Aogiri's elite members was too overwhelming.

Now, Kaneki stood in the aftermath of battle, chest heaving. His wounds was closing, slowly but surely. He glanced around. Noro appeared unhurt as always, and Tatara…Bloodied, he took the most battering of them three, yet he still calmly pressed on.

"Let's go." Shaking himself out of his reverie, Kaneki trudged behind Tatara. Noro quickly caught up and took the lead, bounding towards the distance. It was a short walk to their headquarters. There was no need to rush. Noro was a ghoul of bizarre mannerisms and attitude, however, and Kaneki did not question his eagerness to return to base.

Kaneki, on the other hand, had one last thing to do before he retired tonight.

"...Tatara-san?"

"Ah?" His voice muffled, Tatara continued to walk on. Kaneki inhaled involunatrily.

"Thanks for the books, I...appreciated them."

The tall man in front stopped, face half-turned towards him. Kaneki's footsteps too slowed to a halt. Had he said anything wrong? They remained in that position for a while, with Tatara resuming his scrutiny.

"...Your eye isn't half bad." Tatara spoke, dark eyes narrowing, "It has...potential."

With that, the supposedly aloof, heartless Tatara picked up the pace towards their destination. Kaneki let himself digest the half-compliment, feeling his lips pulling themselves in a slight smile. He had been acknowledged.

"I won't disappoint. " Kaneki simply said.

Tatara did not respond, but that told Kaneki enough.

* * *

*Note: To be really honest, I have no idea how Eto addresses Kaneki and Tatara in Root A. She just keeps going "Kaneki Ken, huh?". If the latest episode discredits my current usage of honorifics, I will edit the chapter to ensure validity.

A shoutout to **Monstrel45 and barmoglot13** for follows, and **Leelhiette, Monstrel45, barmoglot13 and naruto qweqe** for faves. Thanks for your support! :)

**barmoglit13**: The update period might be a bit irregular, but I will try my best to keep it up. Thanks for the review. :D


	3. Time and Again

A/N: Something made me write this weird drabble of sorts. Really need more interaction between Tatara and Eto, really...

(Looking forward to Kanepede in future TG Root A episode too! :D)

Disclaimer: Don't own Tokyo Ghoul and its affiliates.

3\. Time and again (Tatara/Eto)

* * *

_The little girl, nor old, nor young._

_Danced in a field of flowers._

_Laughing, she spread joy_

_and happiness to the world._

_She was blessed with _

_Eternal Youth. _

_And time stood still for her._

_She wished that things will never change_

_Never, ever change._

_But, atlas,_

_This world is_

_Cruel._

_This little girl mocked the reality of sanity._

_She needed to die._

_No._

_That was not enough._

_She __**had**_ _to suffer the most __**excruciating**__..._

_**Death.**_

_And oh, __**I made sure of it**__._

* * *

"Tatara-saaan~" Pirouetting on one foot, Eto was a dizzy whirlwind of purple and white, a stark contrast with the drab walls.

The sole reason was of annoying him, but as usual, he did not ask.

"Ah, Eto." Walking past her nonchalantly, Tatara entered the meeting room. Eto finally stopped, blinked and hurried after him. Due to their...sickeningly long history, he supposed that he had developed some immunity against her foolery.

Regardless, this was not a time he would even allow any _disturbances_ to the plans. Eyes sliding to meet Eto's, he glared at her briefly. Eto blinked owlishly and gave him a thumbs-up. Realising that that was the best he could get from her, Tatara ceased his attempt and went to claim his seat. The impromptu meeting was about to start after all.

"The CCG has been observing our actions more vigilantly after the raid of the 20th ward. As such, precautionary measure will be taken to ensure that our tracks are sufficiently covered. We will be…Eto, are you listening?"

"Oh...Mm-hmm. Please continue, Tatara-san." Eto's sleepy voice drifted from his side. The normally blank-faced ghoul suppressed a deadly eyebrow twitch. From the corner of his eye, Ayato smirked before turning to Kaneki, one hand cupped over his mouth, voice far too loud to be considered discrete. In response, his audience stared at him, mouthing an exaggerated "Are you serious?" back.

Tatara roughly knew what they were talking about, thank you very much.

(More importantly, when did they get so...close anyway? Tatara pushed that thought to a corner of his mind, set aside and milled over on a later date.)

At his side, Eto yawned, mouth formed a large depression in her bandage mask. Figuring that there was no way he could maintain her attention for long anyway, Tatara picked up the pace of the meeting, moving on to reveal some of the objectives their future missions will fulfill. As he was somewhere along the lines of the wards they should expand their operations too, he paused. The sound of soft snoring was the only warning he got before Eto flopped onto his side.

The silence that followed was unnerving. Tatara remained in his position for a while, silently wishing that the dead weight on his right arm could just magically straighten. He opened his mouth to continue, and promptly closed it shut when he felt a drop of wetness touch his cloak.

"Eto."

There was no response. Tatara was hard-pressed to shove her off. The last time he did that, however, he suffered the full force of thousands of shards impaled in his forearm, courtesy of Eto's kagune. Not that he would die from that, but it was a pain to pluck them out one by one - he gave up and sliced his arm off in the end.

"Eto." He said a bit louder, nudging her slightly. She mumbled something along the lines of "Mmm…?" in her sleep, face buried in his cloak. In the distance, Ayato snorted. Tatara's darkening face, coupled by Eto's apparent oblivion, proved to be a strangely amusing scene.

Mentally throwing his hands up, Tatara cast one last glance at Eto's serene sleeping form. It was rare for her to show such a...vulnerable side. Swallowing, he pried his eyes away and continued his previous point, resolutely ignoring the duo sputtering while trying to contain their reactions.

(Noro gave a suspicious nod of approval. He gave up thinking about sanity anymore.)

* * *

_The little girl, far too old for her namesake,_

_Danced on a field of flesh and bone._

_Scattering ashes with each tread of soft feet,_

_She brought sadistic joy to herself._

_She was cursed with _

_Hatred._

_Rage._

_As time stood still for her,_

_She hungered for change._

_She devoured._

_She evolved._

_She killed._

_This world was_

_Cruel._

_And the little girl rewrote the fairy tale_

_Into a night of petrified bloody glory._

_Beware, _

_Eto._

* * *

He came to a halt near the scene of carnage, dark eyes scanning the area, only to spot a single figure in the distance peering back. The stench of blood, human blood, was strong. He was pretty sure his contractor said that there was no ghouls in this area, yet…

A strange voice, haunting like a siren and static in nature, hummed in the air. Tatara, startled, looked up. A dark figure descended upon him, and he instinctively brought his arms up to defend his face. With a soft flick of an ankle, the ghoul (that smelled different) bounded off him, crouched into a roll and landed on the ground near him. Tatara spun around, pivoting on one foot and sent the other crashing into the ghoul's side. The impact sent his foe flying several feet into the air, tumbling to a stop in a distance. His boots clicking with rapid urgency, Tatara walked towards the ghoul, right fist tightening to deliver a finishing blow.

To his surprise, the ghoul used _her_ hands to push herself off the ground and onto wobbly feet. The cloak that once shrouded her head had been pushed back during their confrontation, revealing a youthful face half-hidden by a mop of dark green hair, and a single kakugan replacing her right eye. Evidently, she had been worn out from her previous battles. A large gash on her was healing as he observed her.

The ghoul in front of him burst into a fit of giggles, a move so unexpected in this tense moment.

His formed fist uncurled. Tatara blinked.

"Ah."

She laughed even harder, in that deviant, alien manner of hers, and Tatara was mildly fascinated.

"I apologise, I didn't mean to disturb your…...feeding." Tatara began, only to be interrupted by a snort. The ghoul in front of him shook her head, sticking her tongue out childishly before replying. "Nah, it's okay. I'm done here, want some?"

His eyes followed her finger to the indiscernible pool of bloody pulp on the floor, oozing and raw.

"...I'm fine, thank you." Tatara uttered. The scent of said potential meal on the floor tickled into his nose, but he had little time to stop and feed. Realising that he should properly be on his way, Tatara turned to leave.

"Going already?" The strange little ghoul skipped to a position right in front of him. Tatara had this hunch that he was not going to get rid of her that soon.

"...Yes. What's your name, half-ghoul?" He intoned.

"Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah, tell me your name first, Stranger-san. That's courtesy."

He was damned, Tatara morosely thought. Now, he was stuck with a ditzy, bratty female half-ghoul for an indefinite amount of time. He just knew it.

"...Tatara."

"Ooh, tatar sauce!"

Tatara's left eye twitched minutely. This, (Why on earth did she associate him with a _sauce_) was bad for his mental health.

"Eto - that's my name. Please remember that, Tatara-san!" Her hands flailing, Eto did a mock bow of sorts, giggling ever so quietly. Tatara glared at her, but found his glare losing its normal weight. Was he going soft on a random ghoul? Sighing, he quickly walked forward with intent, schooling his face back into blankness. He would need to find a new mask quick, he noted, before he carried out any killings. There was no time to waste.

The soft pattering of feet behind him made him scowl. Some part of his sanity told him to get used to it.

* * *

"Eh, Tatara-san, how many comrades did we lose this time?" Swinging her feet casually, Eto asked her long-term companion.

"Around two hundred." The stoic white-haired ghoul standing next to her estimated. Hm...That was quite a sizable amount, but lives were to be lost and gambled along the way. That was not an issue.

"Then, for the two hundred we lost, we have to share our share of killings okay?" Eto simply said, looking up to face him. Tatara, hardened to the core and progressively quieter, had undergone many changes in the past ten years. So had she. But inside, he had not shifted that much, really.

"...Yeah."

Eto bit her lips. Still so silent, eh?

"Let's go, Tatara-san, Noro."

"...Mm-hmm."

Leaping off the bridge, she landed smoothly on hard ground, knowing that wherever she went, Tatara would always follow.

It was their _twisted, battered _fate, but they were made for that, _anyway_.

* * *

_He closed his hands around_

_A little girl's throat._

_Squeezing out every last_

_breathe until she_

_Gasped and_

_Choked and_

_Gaped for air. _

_Far in the background,_

_The little girl, drenched in reddish black,_

_**Laughed**._

* * *

_(I had a lot of fun with this piece)_

A big thank you to **EmpurataCon, Niln, Ootsutsuki-Chan, SomeRandomChick77, Three-Steps-Behind and VardaKatsu** for new follows, and **EmpurataCon and Ootsutsuki-Chan** for new faves. To existing supporters, an even louder "Arigatou!" to ya. :)

**Leelhiette: **Tyvm! :D I was unsure initially whether I should input elements of romance into these one-shots, but I wanted to try something different and not aim for more popularity with romance-lovers. Not that romance is bad, but at least half of the fanfictions here have some form of love-based relationships. And yup, I will keep up and do even better works. ^^

**Guest**: Ikr XD Ty for the review!


	4. Perception

A/N: Been away on for a long time huh... =_= Felt like an after-surgery Kaneki during my brief time in the hospital and salmon tasted weird. Here's a (short!) one shot focused on a little shard of Noro's enigmatic thoughts and ideas circling in that head of his...I find myself too hesitant to "destroy" his characterisation to continue, a sincere apology on that.

This one shot features a slightly different writing style (with more colourful language to boot) as compared to my other works. I really hope that my portrayal of Noro works out. Is this even legit? D:

(Never mind about that...)

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Don't own Tokyo Ghoul or its affiliates

Note: I actually watch TG Root A raws first, followed by the english subs. As such, some character dialogue may not completely similar to the subs due to translation differences. (Side note, the bench mistake was extremely obvious.) For the purpose of writing fics, I may also modify bits and pieces to suit the story. Sorry for the confusion!

4\. Perception (Noro)

* * *

A long finger crept along the contours of the rectangular device, sneaking up to a button and silencing it with a harsh click.

It was silent. Good.

There was one, two, three pairs of eyes on him. Honestly, Noro could not bring himself to care. Three ghouls not too far away from him needed his attention, but the clock had stolen it for the moment and would not share one bit with them. The plan had to proceed.

"What is he?"

Was there even a need for urgency? Shaking his head mentally, Noro turned and continued down the flight of stairs leading to the lower floors. He had to retrieve a runaway Ayato and evacuate as quickly as possible, as stated by Tatara. There was not much time to waste.

"Do we follow him?"

(Could they stop talking, please. They were wasting energy asking the unnecessary, and his ears were beginning to ring.)

"Let's hurry on."

Soft, rapid footsteps echoed down the spiral staircase. They were on their way. The building was collapsing soon, Noro noted as another tremor wrecked the infrastructure around him. There was not much time for him to waste, and Noro picked up the pace grudgingly.

Urgency, urgency...

...How _annoying._

* * *

The latest meeting of Aogiri's upper management was boring. It was the norm, really. Tatara was well known for his long, dragged-out speeches that could be simply summarised in three sentences. For the sake of the general good, Noro remained silent about it. Tatara was also well known for his no-nonsense code of conduct, and unless someone really wanted to endure an additional fifteen minutes of politically correct bullshit, (which is Tatara's way of saying "Fuck you. This is your _divine_ punishment, dumbass.") people tended to be present at such meetings.

More interesting to observe were the interactions during meetings. Ayato was decked out in full leather as usual. His punk taste in clothing was...commentable. That, however, was not the main point.

The teenager was also having a conversation with the ghoul next to him: The eyepatch, their newest executive. To be frank, the white-haired ghoul was a disaster waiting to happen, with his mental state was unravelling by the minute. Like a shoddily building set in sinking mud, it was borne to shatter sooner or later. Ironically, his instability appeared to make him stronger. That part alone made Noro hugely invested in his observations about this ghoul.

The eyepatch was special, and having Ayato socialise with him was a bonus layer of icing to the cake. He could not wait to see something happen, whether for the bad or worse.

Noro was sorely tempted to poke his cheeks repeatedly to drive him up the wall. Later, maybe?

Then there was Eto and Tatara. Those two was opposite poles in their attitude, fighting style and other areas. Despite their differences, they eclipsed in familiarised harmony together. Eto, with her wayward, queer manner, simply filled in the stony, awkward gaps of Tatara's silence. They were not a perfect fit, of course, yet their partnership was sublime. Years of recognition probably led them to this stage, and Noro could safely bet that the road to there was rocky.

Regardless, no romance between them could ever exist, let alone survive. Tatara was simply a hopeless case. It would be even worse than the redundant love stories behind plots, and Noro could _almost_ imagine a romantic comedy between the duo. Eto needed no explanation. And...

The case was closed. Done with his daily musings of relative wisdom, Noro rocked back on his seat, causing Tatara to glare at him. He wrung his hands out gleefully. This was such _fun_.

* * *

Did their brain cells spontaneously explode or something? Why on earth were they so weak?

A flick of his kagune sent one of the investigators rocketing into the wall, skull thoroughly crushed by the force of the impact. Passively watching the limp body slide down the wall with a bloody trail in its wake, Noro titled his head to the side.

Not that he was biased or something, but their lack of skills, strength and even wit was disappointing. Was this not Cochlea, a prison for ranked ghouls, Noro would assume that these humans were mere citizens. For the standard of investigators to be this low was a letdown. Really, he was looking forward for an epic showdown, not a one-sided slaughter. The surviving guards were running helter-skelter as if they were beheaded, fleeing the vicinity.

Hm, so what should he do now…

In the end, beheaded humans was the only thing he could come up with. Noro proceeded to carry out his work as such, muttering intangible words that sounded right to him as heads rolled down the aisles, stopping occasionally to behold his masterpiece.

All he saw before him was a bloodstained walkway, yet the calmness that permeated the stilled air was enough for him. He lived to _live_, anyway, and one might as well enjoy the sights along the way to your own certain death.

Some might call it sadistic. In no way was Noro so. He preferred to call himself...meticulous. Vigilant. To take note of every little detail and derive joy from it was the essence of thriving. It was the privilege of the strong to truly relax for a fleeting moment. Victory was temporary and fragile, so why not savour it before the tide pulls you under?

This was-

The clock announced the need for urgency once again. Sighing softly, Noro pushed the button. The _curfew _was up.

* * *

He stood in the wake of changing times, grinning mask betraying no emotions. His voice was something all have not heard. Maybe one day they would when the need arises, for there was no need to explain his existence currently. Actions spoke more than words, after all.

He was an enigma of nature's creation. He was a mystery to those surrounding him, his true motives unknown. Perhaps, they could never understand him truly. Perhaps he was to remain a conundrum to the masses, someone undefined by conventions, someone who would never utter to the world.

Noro, the silent giant of Aogiri Tree, a riddle unsolved.

He liked his title that way. Really.

* * *

0_0 I never expected so many faves and follows amg.

A resounding thanks to **Darkening Grey, KashiiKat, AyatoKirishima, balming9, psychoteddy398, Jesse M.E Gerrits, badwolfdw5 and thesky448 **for faves, and **Churroko, Darkening Grey, AyatoKirishima, SadisticPrincess13, Rxroulette, Jesse M.E Gerrits and Chromanor** for follows!

Would like to thank **Churroko, barmoglot13 and Ootsutsuki-Chan** for reviews!


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